Image-rendering devices, such as, televisions, displays, microdisplays, etc., typically include a two-dimensional array of pixel elements and a backplane drive circuit that controls the emission of each pixel in the array to render an image.
Prior-art displays are typically designed for a particular functionality and display format, which is hardwired into its backplane drive circuit. There are a number of applications, however, that would benefit from a flexible display architecture that can be operated efficiently when used to display images in non-native formats. For example, energy efficiency is paramount in many portable applications wherein different kinds of sensor inputs or video stream formats must be viewed while in the field. Unfortunately, while many displays are characterized by a slight decrease in total power consumption when displaying an image that is smaller than its native format, the energy savings are small since the display efficiency typically drops significantly in such circumstances.
In addition, every pixel of a prior-art display must be written to and energized during each frame period. This is true even for unused pixels that lie outside of an image formed in a smaller sub-region of a display because these pixels must still be written as black during each frame period. As a result, a prior-art display has a pre-determined fixed frame period that determines its maximum achievable frame rate.
Some applications, such as immersive virtual-reality headsets, for example, require high pixel count and fast motion response, which give rise to unrealizable data processing and communication bandwidth demands using conventional display technology.
High pixel count is necessary to achieve a wide field-of-view with eye-limited angular resolution for a realistic VR experience. On the other hand, high frame rates are needed to avoid motion artifacts, such as image blur and judder, which are particularly visible in a near-eye system and have led to headaches and motion sickness for many users. Together, these requirements lead to raw video data rates of many tens of gigabits per second, which are beyond the limits of today's fastest graphics processor and video interface driver chips.
The need for a display technology that enables fast, flexible image rendering remains, as yet, unmet in the prior art.